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A set this small was never going to produce audio excellence. In line with almost every single flatscreen TV on the market, the speakers on the 32SL8000 have been scarified at the altar of aesthetics.

Hidden away underneath the 32SL8000's slinky one-pane frame are two 10W speakers. They do a reasonable job with everyday TV and movies thanks to plenty of modes.

Easy to toggle through while watching TV, presets are provided for sport, cinema, games and music, alongside a 'standard' mode. That roster almost completely mirrors the picture modes available – another example of LG keeping things simple.

Sound settings

Finding one that suits is a quick process, but trouble producing decent stereo separation (not this small TV's fault) and a lack of quality in the low frequency part of the spectrum (par for the course on flat TVs) make the 32SL8000 an average performer with audio.

Clear Voice II helps out with dialogue-heavy TV, and even the oft-ineffective SRS TruSurround XT can impress with movies, though it's best to stick to the standard setting to keep all frequencies clearly audible in the mix.

High volumes don't produce distortion and TV is dealt with acceptably, but for movies a decent soundbar or home cinema is required.

Very few flatscreens TVs roundly impress in this area (pricey Loewe TVs and some Philips TVs prove rare exceptions) – and almost never at this price point – so we're not going to mark down the 32SL8000 too harshly. If you want a flat TV, it seems, you have to settle for flat sound, too.

The 32SL8000's unique audio capabilities with Bluetooth may attract some; the idea of listening to TV wirelessly will appeal to those who are already forced (for whatever reason) to regularly use headphones. In practice the feature works well and is easy to set-up.